WINDHOEK, 13 Sept – Erastus Amadhila, who pleaded guilty to killing his uncle Simon Hanghama, was sentenced in the Oshakati Regional Court last Wednesday.
Hanghama was killed at Oshaandja village near Oshakati in Oshana region after a fight broke out between him and his 58-year old nephew.
It was reported that Hanghama found Amadhila drinking at a local Cuca shop and asked him to follow him behind the cuca shop.
There, the deceased reportedly grabbed and slapped him in his face. He (Amadhila) then ran away from the deceased, but the deceased chased him and kicked him. Amadhila allegedly turned around and pushed Hanghama to the ground and then started stabbing him in the back.
In giving his testimony, Amadhila said that when he started stabbing the deceased, he was angry and agitated, as he didn’t understand why his uncle would assault him.
Amadhila who had been ordered by a Traditional Authority to pay six head of cattle as compensation, also asked not be sentenced too many years. He requested to be sentenced to 10 years in prison, begging for the further suspension of five of them.
However, public prosecutor Nelao France objected to a lenient sentence on Amadhila, reiterating that there had been widespread outrage against murderers in society.
“The administration of justice may fall into disrepute and those injured may resort to taking the law into their own hands,” she said.
Magistrate Richard Swartz sentenced Amadhila to 15 years, of which five years were suspended for five years. – info@namibiadailynews.info
